Game 4 (sweep?) preview: The Bieksa aftermath, Schneider to start in goal for Canucks — and more

SAN JOSE — Predictably, the biggest topic at today’s morning skate was the Sharks’ reaction to Canucks defenseman Kevin Bieksa’s allegations that “so-called Canadians” Logan Couture and Joe Thornton were embellishing in order to draw penalties.

Couture and Thornton chose not to engage too deeply in that conversation, but Todd McLellan and Adam Burish had some well-chosen words that boiled down to pots calling kettles black — but a little more subtly than that.

The online story at http://www.mercurynews.com/sharks/ci_23190849/san-jose-sharks-fed-up-vancouver-canucks-whining captures much of that. Do check it out and we’ll revisit the topic momentarily.

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Meanwhile, there is that little matter of Game 4 and the possibility the Sharks could sweep a series for the first time in franchise history.

As far as the task at hand, the biggest news this morning was Canuck coach Alain Vigneault’s decision to go with Cory Schneider in net despite a problematic performance in the third period of Game 3. Roberto Luongo, who played well in Games 1 and 2, mopped up after Schneider left what would end up a 5-2 Vancouver loss, and press-box wisdom had Luongo back for this one.

“Cory in my opinion is our MVP and is one of the reasons why we got into the playoffs,” Vigneault said. “He’s had great bounce back games and has been outstanding. I think our group has total faith in both goaltenders, but they have a lot of faith in Cory and I have a lot of faith in him. That’s why we’re going with him tonight.”

Bieksa did not skate this morning, but Vigneault said he would be in the Game 4 lineup.

****Back to the Bieksa aftermath.

(You’ve read that online story, right? We don’t have to go over all that again here.)

Thornton stuck to a terse “We’ll play” response to the half dozen or so attempts to get him to talk about Bieksa’s remarks.

Couture went just a little further.

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“It really doesn’t matter what they have to say. All I’m focused on is playing Game 4 tonight,” he began.

Were the comments insulting?

“No, everyone has their own opinion. He said what he has to say.”

Was he surprised at being named?

“If they’re talking about me, I must be doing something right,” Couture said.

The media scrum also gathered around Dan Boyle at one point.

“I thought about this in case you guys were going to ask me and I’m just not to going to say anything,” Boyle said. “People can watch the games.”

Does he think it’s come to the point where playoff series involve games off the ice as well as on it?

“Some people get involved in games,” Boyle said. “Sometimes coaches say certain things to try to deflect attention or players say certain things to try and get under other people’s skin, but you try not to let that affect you.”

Nobody, including McLellan, thought that Bieksa’s remarks would have an impact on the officiating.

The online story included the best of Burish’s comments, but he didn’t stop there.

“We’re going to deal with how we can be better,” he said, “and not worry about the integrity of the game and having props in interviews and acting like a lawyer with video evidence and all that stuff.”

And Burish, who is from Wisconsin, also noted that Bieksa made a point of referring to Couture and Thornton as Canadians, or “so-called Canadians.”

“Just our Canadian guys — our American guys, we’ve got integrity,” he added. “Maybe it’s just a Canadian thing. I don’t know. It’s gamesmanship I guess.”

****Back to that little matter of Game 4. . .

McLellan said he didn’t want his team to be focused on the opportunity to avoid another trip to Vancouver if the series is extended.

“I don’t want us to think he like that. I’m sure there’s a little rumbling, but we want to be able to come out and play hard and compete for every inch of ice,” the coach said. “I’ve said it many times, let’s play and at the end of the night look up at the results that are there. That’s the way we’ll look at it.

“When you start talking about saving energy or travel,” McLellan concluded, “I don’t think you’re in the right frame of mind to compete.”

McLellan also talked about his decision NOT to bring up the 2011 series against Detroit, when a 3-0 series lead for the Sharks went to a seventh game, with his players.

“I would assume that’s been talked about in our locker room,” he said. “But that’s in the past, a different group of players. It’s not fair to Vancouver or San Jose to drag the past into it. You always want to, as a player or team, draw on past experiences. But I want them to share that with each other, not come directly from us.”

****In the Vancouver locker room, the emphasis was on staying more disciplined to get a better chance of getting back into the series.

“We’re talking about staying out of the box and playing this game 5-on-5 as much as we can and give ourselves a better chance to win,” captain Henrik Sedin said. “We’re giving them a lot of power plays. We’re giving their best players a chance to get confidence. It carries over 5-on-5 and their whole game has been better. That’s the main thing for us tonight.”

Someone asked Sedin if the Canucks were playing for pride.

“No, it’s about winning,” Sedin said. “It’s not like we’ve been outplayed badly and there’s no chance of us coming back.”

David Pollak

David Pollak has been following the NHL forever and at the Mercury News as an editor or reporter since 1987. For almost a decade he wrote about the Sharks as the paper's Fan in the Stands before joining the sports department in 2001. He became the Sharks beat writer before the 2007-08 season and began this blog at that time. You can also follow him on Twitter at @PollakOnSharks.

This is a different Sharks team… probably not enough to win it all but tons of heart!

Snow Shovel

Dang, I love OT!

Beer League Rocks

Marleau with goals in all 4 games!!!! How do you like me know!!!!!!!!!!!

David Sexton

SWEEP Baby!

Jestthefacts

TRADE MR. SOFTY!!!!!

goduckies

Patty gwg

Stevo

Snow Shovel,

It’s TIME — for you to post the “Ode To Mr. Invisible”, eh?

Stevo

I guess Mr. Roy will serve his suspension at the start of next season…

Beer League Rocks

Hope Wingels and Burrish are ok. Hope the rest does them good. Maybe even Havlat will be back (do we want him back?).

Stevo

I just read on the VAN Dep’t or Emergency services Twitter feed, that all personnel are to report to their posts immediately.

….you now — just in case.

Tealfist

A quarter of the season done — nice job so far, but let’s win another dozen before calling it over for the season…

Stevo

Havlat??? …. who is this “Havlat” that you speak of Mr. BLR?

Beer League Rocks

Bummer, Randy and Drew wont be doing any more games this year, it’s going to NBC networks for the rest of the playoffs. I thought they use to do the first 2 rounds.

Angel From Texas

They say it was a questionable call, well in 2011 game 5, that was a questionable icing call. I’ll say the sharks and Canucks are even now. What a game! I don’t even care it’s almost 12:30!!! Go Sharks

Clemenza

Not boarding. That was a clean hit…

I’d feel worse about it if it was any team except Vancouver….

Stevo

And NBC is so thin with on-air talent that they use a guy that normally does MLS announcing/hosting as his regular gig.

He’s been working with Anson Carter in the studio.

I shouldn’t complain — he could be calling the actual games 😉

Beer League Rocks

They gave up the lead, but didn’t give up and came back. It wasn’t a pretty game by any means. The Sharks will get more time to practice before next round than they have all season

Clemenza

Thanks for the great season Randy & Drew! Always miss you guys in the later rounds.

SacTownSharksFan

Classy Canuck-like act Mr. Vigneaux, leaving like that.

Stevo

Well… you can’t make a player fly head-first into the boards. Clean hit or not.

Angel in Texas… agreed!

Stevo

Sharks were rather inconsistent in that game (except PP). I hope they learned their lesson about dictating play for the entire game. Not giving so much time and space to the opposition.

CHI will slice and dice them if they don’t.

glennzky

Vigneault went straight off the ice and avoided the handshakes. What a tool. Can’t wait to see him fired. Hope he stays unemployed. #noclass

SacTownSharksFan

@Stevo: I agree. I did feel that we played well 2 out of 3 times against them though, and actually without the Desjardin fiasco we could’ve won the first game.

philburbank

I don’t know if any of you noticed, but Sedin got another penalty for “abusive language” at the end of the game. It’s marked at 13:18, which is the same time as Marleau’s game ending goal. What a ponce. You lost Sedin…just leave the rink like a man.

Stevo

I hope Wingels is not injured.

Stuey has to have a headache. Wingels might also. Burish out. Havlat out.

Nice to have extra rest before R2.

Stevo

I wonder if that was Kelly Sutherland that called Sedin for boarding, because I can’t imagine it was Chris Lee. He never helps the Sharks.

Stevo

philburbank,

Nice job on that Sedin penalty update. Class act.

And isn’t it nice to see karma returned on the diving, biting, whining Canucks??

Topcat

Great pass to Thornton by Boyle.

Beer League Rocks

Stevo, Not sure which one it was, but it was the ref further from the play

Beer League Rocks

The next round will be much harder. Vancouver has been playing in a weak division. All that changes next season.

YEAH BABY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! So so so sweet!!!!!!!
Marleau with the GWG, making it 4 goals in 4 games, and just a MONSTER of a series. Both ends of the ice. What a game by Patrick Marleau. BEAST!!!! Slurp THAT up, JR…

Stevo

Martin Brody,

Look on the bright side. Your Canucks will likely get a new Head Coach.

“Whining” Terry Murray would fit right in… he didn’t shake hands with the Sharks players after the Sharks bounced your Kings in ’11 either.

SCSharksFan

Is it time to break out the weenies yet… has the Vancouver BBQ been started?

ppc

Still not a single, solitary word from Major League BS. What a surprise. Not. Laughable.

Stevo

errata:

….”after the Sharks bounced the Kings in ’11 either.”

Beer League Rocks

OR, Lmao about JR. Yea, he doesn’t show up in the playoffs. A goal in every game for Marleau, topping it off with the series clinching goal in overtime. Did JR ever do that???? How do you like me now JR?????

Interesting information I heard on the post-game show: MEV is now the all-time leader in play off games played by a Sharks defenseman. Nice. I thought Pickles played a whale of a series.

Renoshark

Did we really sweep? Feels so good, someone pinch me. ;). Who on here would have thought that at the beginning of the year or during our slump? Especially the way last year ended. The team and staff have really progressed in a short amount of time. I said before the playoffs started this was our best team/best lines since 2011. Not sure how far we’ll go but I could see us taking Chicago to 7 games if we end up meeting. Didn’t see the handshakes but did Elaine Vigneault really avoid the handshake line and head for the showers? Man, I hate that guy. He almost makes “hockeynuts” bearable by comparison. Well ok, let’s not get carried away. ;). Time for these guys to rest and heal and get ready for Round 2.

JB

See ‘ya later, Vancouver Canucks…couldn’t happen to a nicer bunch of guys.

The Sharks won all seven games against them this season, an impressive feat.

Sweep. Sounds nice. Waited a long time to say that, as opposed to swept.

Tonight, all is right with the world.

Lisa

Marleau with the GWG! yes!

I’m a bit disappointed that Marleau was treated so poorly by the announcers and the Sharks organization tonight.

a. what blind Sharks org staff person at the Tank announced that Couture got the GWG? doh!

b. the TV Essurance ad listed the “Sharks top forwards” tonight as being JT, Pavs, and Couture. Really? Did any of those 3 players score the GWG in OT that got the Sharks 5 days or more of rest and set a franchise record for sweeping a playoff opponent?

I’m tired of having Couture stuffed down our throats as the org’s new franchise face and super star. It will be so in 5 years but it is not the case now. Couture is still part of a team repertoire at this time. He’s not the Captain or Leader Par Excellence in 05/07/2013 as I see it.

Yeah, I always found Roenick mildly annoying, but when he started in with his own personal, unprofessional, malevolent vendetta against Marleau, my irritation turned to abhorrence. So sweet to think of how Marleau’s strong play must be twisting the knife…

JB

Reno, it was reported AV didn’t go to the handshake line, but he did exchange handshakes with the Sharks coaching staff.

JB

“MEV is now the all-time leader in play off games played by a Sharks defenseman.”

OR, I was it was nice how, well, happy that seem to make MEV to hear that.

JB

Oops – I thought it was nice… seems fingers and brain are no longer synchronized.

Beer League Rocks

That’s pretty impressive for such a young kid. Hopefully he’ll be adding to that record well into June.

“I’m tired of having Couture stuffed down our throats as the org’s new franchise face and super star. It will be so in 5 years but it is not the case now. Couture is still part of a team repertoire at this time. He’s not the Captain or Leader Par Excellence in 05/07/2013 as I see it.”

I pretty much agree. Don’t get me wrong — I love Logan and the way he plays! — but enough already. He is a star AMONGST stars. I think this post season’s team is just that – a TEAM. Logan is not carrying the team on his back, and as far as I’ve been able to see, JT is still captain. Again, don’t get me wrong, Logan has been amazing, but he is one of many who had a heck of a series.